In many interior and exterior carpet installations, carpet sections must be joined by bonding the edges of the carpet sections to form a continuous carpet having the dimensions of the room. The joining of carpet sections is generally accomplished by using a bonding tape having a thermoplastic adhesive. The carpet sections to be joined are arranged with the edges to be joined in parallel abutting relation. The bonding tape is then positioned beneath and between the opposed edges of the carpet sections in parallel relation to the seam. The bonding tape is then heated by applying a heated hot melt carpet seaming iron over the tape, heating and softening the thermoplastic adhesive. Pressure is then applied to the carpet portions adjacent the carpet edges, bonding the carpet sections to the heat bonding tape and forming a substantially continuous carpet.
There are several problems with this method of hot melt carpet seaming. First, a carpet is normally laid over a carpet pad which may be relatively soft or flexible. Polymer foam carpet pads are now in common use which include a polymer "skin" on the top surface to prevent pentration of water and other fluids. When the hot seaming iron is applied to the seaming tape, the heat is often sufficient to melt the polymer skin of the carpet pad, removing the waterproof feature of the pad or otherwise damaging the pad. Further, it is very difficult to form a good seam between the carpet sections where the opposed edges are in abutting relation to form a seam which is substantially invisible. This is because the carpet edges will spread when downward pressure is applied to the carpet edges because of the relatively soft or resilient carpet pad. Finally, carpet seaming is a time consuming task, particularly where a good seam is formed. Today, the majority of carpet sales are made through carpet sales companies which normally subcontract the installation of the carpet. The carpet sales companies generally include a warranty with the sale which covers both the carpet and the installation. The carpet installers generally work on a fixed rate or piece basis and therefore the time necessary to seam the carpet is very important to the installers and the quality of the seam is very important to the carpet sales company. It should also be noted that certain types of carpet are very difficult to seam, such as Berber-type carpeting which is a closely napped or woven carpet, generally having a wool nap.
These problems are at least partially solved by using one of the following techniques. First, carpet installers often use a hand-made wooden carpet seam support which comprises a relatively thin board, such as Masonite, having a width of four or five inches and a length of three or four feet. As will be understood, however, a rigid seaming board cannot be used adjacent a wall because the board must be removed after seaming. The thermoplastic adhesive is difficult to clean from a wood seaming board and it is difficult to slide the seaming board out from under the carpet. Finally, a wood seaming board will catch or hang up on the tackless strip pins. Very recently, an aluminum seaming board has become available, however, the rigid aluminum seaming board cannot be used where the seam extends to a vertical wall and the aluminum seaming board conducts the heat of the iron to the pad, scorching or melting the skin surface of the pad. A more common method of seaming carpet sections involves seaming the carpet sections in a larger room, preferably on wood or hard flooring. The bonded carpet sections are then rolled and carried into the room where the carpet is to be laid. Where the carpet sections are joined in the room where the carpet is to be installed, it is also recommended to lift the carpet, following seaming, to check for inadvertent bonding of the carpet tape to the carpet pad and remove any sections of the tape which were inadvertently bonded to the pad. This, of course, also results in damage to the pad and loss of waterproofing, as described above.
The "flexible" carpet seaming support and method of this invention solves the problems of the prior art in a very simple manner and avoids damage to the carpet pad. Further, the carpet sections may be seamed in place, including seams which extend to a vertical wall surface, as now described.